Blog
Save
Email
Print
ShareEgo psychology is a school of psychoanalysis that originated in Sigmund Freud's ego-id-superego model.
After Freud, a number of prominent psychoanalytic theorists began to elaborate on Freud's functionalist version of the ego.
They put much effort into theorizing the ego's various functions and how they can be impaired in psychopathology.
Much of their work focused around strengthening the ego so it could better cope with the pressures from the id, super-ego, and society in general. The central functions of the ego were traditionally seen as reality-testing, impulse-control, judgment, affect tolerance, defence, and synthetic functioning.
An important conceptual revision to Freud's structural theory was made when Heinz Hartmann argued that the healthy ego includes a sphere of autonomous ego functions that are independent of mental conflict.
Memory, motor coordination, and reality-testing, for example, ought to be able to function without the intrusion of emotional conflict.
According to Hartmann, psychoanalytic treatment aims to expand the conflict-free sphere of ego functioning.
By doing so, Hartmann believed, psychoanalysis facilitates adaptation, that is, more effective mutual regulation of ego and environment.
For more information about the topic Ego psychology, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:
Personality psychology — Personality psychology is a branch of psychology which studies personality and individual different processes - that which makes us into a person. ... > read more
Kohlberg's stages of moral development — Kohlberg's stages of moral development were conceived by Lawrence Kohlberg to explain the development of moral reasoning. This theory holds that ... > read moreEditor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Recommend this page on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:
Other bookmarking and sharing tools:
more 